Charmed by the Werewolf (17 page)

Calvin vanished without answering.

The romance of the moment was lost.

Xavier rolled his eyes and wished for the thousandth time that Sophia would shut up. She’d done nothing but babble ever since they’d set out before the dawn. He couldn’t concentrate. “For the love of the gods, woman, give me two seconds of peace.” His knees ached as he crouched on the cool metal stairs.

“Sooorrry, your royal grouchiness.
” She smacked his shoulder. “Remind me again why we’re on this foolish mission?” Her whispered question echoed eerily off the walls of the stairwell. “He’ll kill us both if he finds us.”

“Then it is best to not be found.
” He glanced at his watch. Five o’clock in the morning, on the twenty-eighth day of October. They had snuck into the Immortal Court offices and were currently hiding in the stairwell. If it had been up to him, they would have gone directly to Sterling’s office, but Sophia’s skittishness gave him second thoughts. So, he decided to make a brief camp and wait for the night watch to make his rounds.

“Are you crazy?
” She poked his back with an insistent forefinger.

“Perhaps, but one of us has to be.
” He looked over his shoulder, taking in the lines of worry and fatigue on her face, and then returned his gaze to the floor below. “In order to locate a dragon we need to go to the source. Since Sterling is the only person who holds the relocation records for all paranormal beings in the Elias-Mortal Realm Cooperative, I thought we’d get the information from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”

Two minutes later the sweep of a flashlight cut through the shadowy open room below followed by the dark form of the security guard. His heavy boots thumped on the marble flooring in time with his labored breathing.

Sophia pressed tighter against his back. Her heat seeped through the black turtleneck he wore and warmed his skin. His groin twitched in response to her nearness, and he wished again they weren’t mired in a near impossible quest. Her quick inhalation of breath alerted him that she wished to speak. “Hush.”

She laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezed gently. “Is he gone?
”

Xavier risked a glance through the wrought iron railing. “Yes. How long before the next pass?
”

“We should have thirty minutes, give or take.
”

“Good. We
’ll be in and out well before that time.” He stood. “Let’s do this.” He moved up the remaining steps to Sterling’s office door, the glass windowpane cold to the touch. Xavier tried the doorknob. It turned easily under his hand. “The bastard is so arrogant he probably thought no one would dare break in.”

“Xavier.
” Sophia poked him again. “I don’t feel comfortable here in the daylight and I
really
don’t feel comfortable here now.” She followed him into the office.

“Our criminal activity will be quick and painless.
” He squeezed her fingers, hating himself anew for putting her into danger on his behalf. “I’ll look through these files and you take the cabinet over there.” The chrome legs of the chairs winked in the nearly non-existent light from the stairwell.

Sophia removed a small penlight from a pocket of her short black skirt. “What are we searching for?
” She eased open the first drawer then ran her index finger over the folder tabs.

“Dragons, wyverns, dinosaurs, anything of that nature. We just need one name then we can leave.
” The thin white beam of Xavier’s penlight sliced through the darkness, briefly illuminating the files she worked on. “Less talk, more searching.”

“These files are all under the first and last name of the person or creature instead of their specific paranormal case structure. It’s impossible.
”

“Don’t think about it, just do it.
” Xavier growled low in his throat. “Randomly pull a few files and maybe we’ll get lucky. You can always slip the files into the re-file trays for the clerks to replace later.” He made sure she did as he asked before turning his attention to his own drawer. After yanking out two files, he quietly snapped it closed. “Come on, just a few more.”

“A few more.
” Her soft parroting of his words didn’t set his mind at ease. Fear quavered in her voice. As she shut her last drawer, an unmistakable noise filtered into the office. “Oh no.”

“Oh no, what? You
can’t leave me hanging with that.” He glanced at her, saw her round eyes reflecting fear, and laid a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

The elevator squealed as it brought someone up to the floor.
She clutched his arm. “Someone’s coming!”

“So I gathered.
” He extinguished his penlight. Sophia did the same. He froze when the elevator pinged at the floor and the doors slid smoothly open. “We need somewhere to hide,” Xavier whispered. Had his time teasing Fate finally run out?

“We’ll be caught, I’ll get fired and you’ll be sent to the Demon Realm, and then I’ll have to explain to Sterling why I’m so incompetent, and then—
”

“Sophia.
” He lifted an eyebrow, intent on breaking through her terror. “It’s too early to worry.” He cast a glance about the darkened room. “Think. We need a quick hiding place.” Sprinting across the floor, he tried the door to what he could only assume was a coat closet. “Damn. Locked.” Footsteps rang on the marble floor below Sterling’s office. His heart pounded so frantically he thought it would rip out of his chest. “Is there a utility closet or something like that?”

She fumbled at another doorknob. “Yes, hurry. If it’s Sterling we’re toast.
”

His heart went out to her. The poor thing was nearly climbing the walls from fear. “There
’s no reason to panic.” He shoved her forward into the closet then closed the door behind him. “Let’s see who it is first.”

In Sterling’s office, the darkness glowed green from the exit signs at the stairwell. In the closet, it was pitch black. Xavier could barely discern his hand in front of his face, couldn’t imagine what Sophia must be feeling. “How are you doing?
” Concern for her surged to the forefront of his mind.

“Not good.
” She emitted a few gasping breaths. “I have to get out of here.”

“Do
n’t think about claustrophobia. You’re better than the situation, sweetness.” He looked in her direction. Thankfully, his wolf sight kicked in. Sophia huddled by one wall, her face pale, her eyes rounded. “You’ll get through this. Come over to me.” The tiny closet appeared to be three feet by three feet and contained an upturned bucket in one corner as well as a lightweight carpet sweeper and an old-fashioned broom. Wooden shelving lined two walls above their.

“Quiet.
” Outside, the door to Sterling’s office opened. Heavy footsteps invaded the room. A thin line of light sliced the darkness from under the closet door.

Whoever was in the office had flipped on the overhead fluorescents. He heard a rustle at the back of the closet and wished Sophia would remain calm.

She reached around him to fumble for the doorknob. Xavier stifled an annoyed growl and pinned her against the opposite wall. “Let me out.” Her breathing was heavy and rapid.

“Settle down.
” He removed the files from her hands and placed them on one of the shelves above his head then he wrapped his arms around, pulling her close. “Concentrate on the sound of my voice.” He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled the floral scent. “Everything will be fine, we won’t be caught, and after it’s all over, we can thumb our noses at Sterling.” He kept his voice a calm monotone as he stroked his hands down her back.

“Don’t leave me.
” Hysteria tinged her whisper. She gathered his turtleneck in her fists.

“Never.
” Outside the closet, the occupant of the office moved furniture. Xavier whispered a steady stream of comforting words and soothing sounds into her ear, being sure to maintain contact with her. “I’m your mate. You’ll never be alone.”

“What if we’re caught? What if we’re turned over to Sterling? What if—
”

With a soft grunt, Xavier pressed his mouth to hers, nibbling her bottom lip. “Hush. Stay here.
” He detached her hands and pressed his ear to the door. A loud hum blotted out anything else that lurked outside. He couldn’t identify the sound. “What
is
that?” Sophia moved behind him, her fingers resting on his back. He ignored the shockwaves that coursed through him at the light touch.

“A vacuum cleaner. It’s the cleaning staff.
”

“Ah, see, it is nothing.
” Xavier turned and enfolded her in his arms once again. “No need to worry.” He pressed his lips against her forehead.

“Worry is what I do.
” A shiver shook her. “If Sterling captures us, I’ll find some way out of the Mines and locate you, wherever you are, providing I’m alive. I’ll—”

He gathered her closer. “It
won’t come to that, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Even in such a dire situation, she still wished to protect him. He swallowed past the sudden tightness in his throat. “Thank you.” Her scent filled the stifling air of the closet. Gardenias, lily of the valley, honeysuckle, what was it that blended so sweetly with the vanilla? When the cleaning person moved on to the other side of Sterling’s office, he released a sigh of frustration.

“How long do you suppose we’ll be stuck here?
” Sophia’s words warmed through the cashmere of his shirt.

“I couldn’t say.
” His knees wobbled when she glided her hands around his neck and her fingers tangled in his curls. “Perhaps you should enjoy the time away from your houseguests.”

“True and we
were
interrupted earlier...”

“Indeed.
” He couldn’t think when she stroked the sensitive spot beneath his left ear.

“Thank you for being the calm one.
” She trailed her fingertips over his chest. His               muscles tightened. “I’m not good in a crisis situation.”

“Do
n’t underestimate yourself, Sophia. In a crisis, people can surprise you. We all have untapped wells of courage inside us, waiting for the right moment to surface.” Need sliced through his gut when one of her hands drifted lower toward his waistband. “Bravery comes in all forms.” He stood still, afraid if he moved the moment would shatter.

“Let’s change the subject.
”

The steady hum of the vacuum filled the empty spaces
. Xavier decided to see how willing she would be to a bit of light flirtation to pass the time. “Anything specific?” He released her hair from the ponytail elastic then massaged her scalp. “Obviously, there’s not much we can do in this small space.” Her warmth turned him on, made his temperature rise, pressed his erection against his zipper.

“We could revisit the subject you brought up earlier…
” A sigh swallowed her words. Her pulse increased beneath his fingertips. “Unless you’d rather not.” She smiled like the vixen she was.

Surprise ricocheted through his chest at her teasing. More minx than Gatekeeper, it seemed Sophia had a wild side he was eager to explore. “What did you have in mind?
” He cupped her face in his hands, brushed a thumb over her bottom lip. “We’d have to be quiet.”

“I’m sure it won’t be a problem.
” She tugged the hem of his cashmere turtleneck from his pants and ran her hands up the length of his torso. Everywhere she touched left flames of heat so intense he expected to be burned at any moment. “I want you.”

A pardon from the gods would never sound as sweet as those four little words. “What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t indulge my lady?
” He claimed her lips, slanting his mouth over hers, swept his tongue along the crease of her lips. “I must warn you this act may not be as memorable as it could be were we given a proper bed.”

Sophia’s scorching kisses on his chest banished the thin thread of insecurity. “You talk far too much, werewolf.
” Her whisper penetrated his brain, robbed him of all thought.

“And you tempt me beyond sanity.
” Xavier lifted her and maneuvered her back against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his shoulders. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I met you, since I knew you were mine.” He took another kiss. The sweet scent of her arousal filled the air, spurring him onward. “Damn, you feel good.” He ground his erection into her softness, anxious to relieve the tension.

A faint sound from beyond the office sank into his desire-flooded consciousness, jarring for the simple fact that it didn’t belong. He ignored it in favor of nuzzling the hollow of her throat.

“Xavier.” She pushed his shoulders.

“Don’t rush, Sophia, we
aren’t animals.” His chuckle was low and soft as he hiked her skirt up around her hips, slipped his fingers beneath the elastic of her panties, brushing his fingertips over her pubic hair. “Well, at least you aren’t.”

“Xavier.
”

“Sophia.
” He pressed a searing kiss on her mouth, hard enough to draw blood from a tiny cut inflicted by one of his sharp canine teeth. He licked the wound, tasted the spicy, sweetness of her life essence, glad he didn’t hear the sound again. He wanted this woman like he’d wanted nothing else in life. Slipping his fingers under her sweater, he molded his hands around her full breasts, teasing the pebbled nipples. “Your skin is so soft,” he marveled then pressed his forehead to hers, his breathing labored. “I—” He lifted his head, his hands stilling. “Did you hear that?”